Come As You Are
by Southern Spell
Summary: These are three memories Macy has of Nick Guatier.
1. The most you ever knew

**A/N: This was just an idea I had. It originally came to me when I was re-reading Vane's book and it mentioned that Cherise had to leave early from work because Nick was taking her to dinner or something to that effect.**

**This is going to be three different memories that this OC (Macy) has of Nick. It's going to show him in 'before', 'during' and 'after'. The before is before his mother died and he was still a squire. The during is the time he's in now where things are so crazy for him right now. The after will be when things are better for him. **

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Macy. All else belongs to Ms. Kenyon.**

Todd sat across from her looking absolutely impeccable. Yes, that was defiantly the word to describe him.

Impeccable.

Every thing was perfect. His hair was perfect. His clothes were perfect. His hands were even perfect. Not a blemish or scar on him any where, and his nails were better manicured than her own!

Macy wanted to slam her face into the table.

Instead she clenched her jaw as she watched Todd watching the waitress's back end as she walked away.

Unbelievable.

Thankfully it was almost over. _Just bring back his stupid black credit card, you little_…her thoughts scattered as she heard a deep, male voice accented with Cajun heritage.

"I didn't except to see you two here."

Her head snapped up.

Nick.

Wow. Didn't he look gorgeous?

Oh, and he wasn't dressed in his usual uniform of tattered jeans and tacky Hawaiian shirt. Nope. He was dressed to kill, in a suit that was made for him.

"Nick." Todd greeted him with that 'I'm better than you' way of his. "What are you doing here?"

"It my mom's birthday and I brought her here for dinner".

Macy then noticed the woman on Nick's arm. No wonder where Nick got his looks from. The woman was a knock out.

Todd opened his mouth to say something, but rather than risk his being rude, because that was what Todd was really good at, she smiled big and extended her hand to the woman. "Hi, I'm Macy La Bauve. This is Todd," she said with a wave in her date's direction. Yea, she had left out the last name on purpose. He wouldn't be using it tonight to show off his social status. "Nick has spoken often about you."

Nick smiled, and he had a proud look in his eyes as he looked back his mother.

The woman gave a big, warm smile of her own and accepted Macy's hand for a very lady-like hand shake. "Cherise Gautier. It's very nice to meet you also. Do you go to Tulane too?"

"I do. Nick and I have two classes together this semester, but we've had others together before." Macy answered. "I don't think I could have passed Professor Alexander's class without him."

Cherise's smile turned even brighter.

Todd let out a soft snort and rolled his eyes. "Yea."

Cherise must have heard it because her smile faltered as she looked at Todd.

Macy kicked Todd as hard as she could under the table. She felt justified when she heard him yelp, and felt the table shake because he had jumped. _'Serves him right,' _she thought. It was one thing to act like a jerk to someone, it was interiorly different to act like one in front of their mother.

So what if she had mostly done it because she had just been subjected to the worst night of her life? He deserved it.

She had a very satisfied grin on her face when she looked back up. Nick's brilliant blue eyes were glaring daggers at Todd. If looks could kill, her date would have been six feet under. Cherise was giving Todd a concerned look. Not like he deserved the worry.

"So it's your birthday?" Macy asked, feeling much better about the disastrous date she was stuck in.

Cherise looked back at her and smiled again. "Yes. I told Nicky he didn't have to bring me here. It's not like I haven't had plenty of birthdays before, and I still have a few more to go."

Macy laughed. "They're all special, and you need to enjoy them."

"That's what I've been trying to tell her," Nick said, turning his attention back to them.

That was when the waitress came back with the check book containing Todd's credit card, who had been angrily glaring at Macy. He snatched the little black book out of the waitress's hands, and retrieved his plastic, before rising from his seat without a word and walking away. Macy narrowed her eyes on him; he was not going to embarrass her by leaving her stranded.

She turned to Nick's mother as she all but jumped from her seat. "I'm so glad to have met you. Nick's always telling me how great you are, and now I definitely can see why he says it."

"Why thank you. It was really good to meet you too."

"I'll see you on Monday." She told Nick as she rushed to catch up with her fleeing date. She faintly heard Nick laugh, as she exited the restaurant.

"Could you _please _hurry up?" Todd all but snarled, when he saw her.

"I will take all the damn time I want." Macy snapped at him.

Todd gawked at her, before he snarled at her. "Fine. Whatever. Hope you enjoy finding a ride home." Todd said as a valet opened the driver's door. He left her standing there on the side walk.

Her night just kept getting better and better.

She didn't have enough money on her for a cab, and she didn't have her car with her since it had been Todd who had driven. She tried calling six different people on her cell phone but no one answered. No one. It was Saturday night; where was everyone?

She stomped her foot in frustration. She'd have to walk home, in the ridicules dress she was wearing, and the even more ridiculous heels that she had on. That prospect made her so frustrated that she was close to tears. If it weren't for the fact that she was so angry at Todd she probably would have been crying.

She stomped her foot again.

"I called you a cab."

She turned around to see an amused Nick behind her. She blushed at being caught acting so childishly.

"Thanks, but I'm going to be walking. I didn't bring enough money with me." She said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll cover it." He reached in to his pocket as a cab pulled up by the curve behind her.

She started to protest.

"No. I owe you for kicking the jerk for me." He smiled as he held out some folded up money.

"I did that more for me." She said not reaching for the money.

"Whatever. Take the money. If you want you can pay me back later."

"I _will _pay you back Monday, I promise. I will. Thank you so much." She really was thank full too, as she accepted the loan.

Saying their goodbyes and another thank you Macy got in the cab.

As she rode home she wondered what a date with Nick would be like, and hoped that she'd find out eventually. Although she had the sneaking suspicion that he had a thing for Marguerite…

**A/N: Okay, what do you think of this start? Review and give me some feed back.**


	2. All in the eyes of a boy

No. Way.

It couldn't be him.

Not. Possible.

He was supposed to be on the run for killing his mother.

Or dead.

He should have been anywhere but standing there, pumping gas into that awesome Jag of his. He was only a few yards away, at the next pump, opposite of hers. Macy peeked at him again, still only getting his profile. It couldn't be him. Just couldn't. Someone would have said something about him being back in New Orleans. She would have heard, she worked for the District Attorney's office now, after all. The police were still looking for him, he was a suspect in his mothers murder, had he come back to New Orleans the police would had known about it, then contacted the DA so that they could be prepared with a case. She would have known he was back. So this guy wasn't him, he was just a really good look alike.

She twisted around again, for another look.

Nope. It was him.

It had been years since she had seen him last, but it was him. No doubt about it. She'd spent too many college classes paying too much attention to him, wishing he would just ask her on _one_ lousy date, not to know what he looked liked.

Why hadn't she heard about his return?

Because no one knew. That had to be it.

This was unreal. The police would be all over him if they knew, even if he wasn't guilty. And she had never believed him to be guilty, call it a woman's intuition or whatever; she knew he wouldn't have killed his own mother. She remembered the way he had spoke about Cherise, how proud he had been to introduce his mom the one and only time she had met the woman when they had ran into each other while she had been out on a miserable date with Todd. God, that had been years ago. Seemed like a life time.

He was the missing key to the mystery surrounding his mother's death. The lawyer in her bucked at the idea of letting that injustice go. She'd have to tell the police he was in town; they'd do a little investigation and mark him off their list of suspects. He would tell them what he knew, and the people who had murdered his mother would be brought to justice. It wouldn't hurt him in the least.

Plus, she'd get to find out where he had been all this time. Another puzzling unknown fact.

She would have to make absolutely sure it was him first. Macy slammed shut the little door for her gas tank, then adjusted the suit jacket she was wearing before walking around to him.

"Nick?" She asked hesitantly with a polite smile as she approached him. She still couldn't believe it was him.

He turned her way, and she froze at she what she was hadn't seen or noticed from the next gas pump. This wasn't Nick, at least not the Nick she remembered sitting next to in class.

His eyes were all wrong. Not the brilliant blues she remembered, if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, they were a swirling sliver. And he had a tattoo.

On his face.

There was something else, she couldn't see it, but it was intense, whatever it was. Hostility bled from him. This man was dangerous.

At first he didn't seem to recognize her.

"I'm sorry. I think I may have mistaken you for someone I used to know." She said backing away slowly.

Recognition lit his eyes. "Macy?"

She stopped, wondering what to do now. _Too late now to just get in your car and act like you didn't see him_. She forced out a nervous smile. "So I had it right? That is you Nick?"

"Yea." He seemed more ready to deny it than admit it was him.

"It's been a long time." '_Don't run. Be polite. You approached him'_, she reminded herself.

"Yea, I guess it has." He hung the hose back up to the pump. "How have you been?"

"Great." Never in all her life had she thought that Nick would intimidate her so, but obviously things had changed. A lot.

"That's good", he seemed edgy as he glanced around.

"So…you've been doing well…?" She clasped her hands in front of herself, to keep them from fidgeting. _Don't make it obvious that you're nervous. _

"Yea, sure. Look Macy, it was good seeing you and all but I need to get going". He said, as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"Right. Of course. I don't want to hold you up if you have somewhere to be. It was good seeing you again too. Bye." She said it in a rush, while quickly backing away toward the safety of her car. She stumbled over her heels and nearly face planted into the cement, but managed to save herself by grabbing the hood of her car. Getting into her car gave her some sense of safety.

He had watched her the whole time, and she couldn't help but feel like a complete and total idiot, but she'd have to live with it, because she was not getting back out to apologize for the quick retreat.

He gave her a small wave, which she didn't acknowledge as she started her car, and was backing away as he got into his driver seat.

The whole way home her mind raced with questions. Where had Nick been this whole time? Why the tattoo? And why on his face? What had happen to his eyes? There was no way those were contacts. Has he been on the run? Did he chase down his mothers killer or killers? What had happen the night Cherise was murdered? But the biggest one that plagued her was, what had happened to Nick?

Nick hadn't killed his mother. No way, because she had seen him that day only a few hours before his mother had been found murdered. The Nick from that day would not have killed his mother.

Macy knew that Nick had the answers, but after having just seen him she decided that he could keep them to himself. That what ever had happened since she had last seen him, which was just hours before his mothers death, and having just seen him again for the first time in years, she knew he had earned the sole right to those secrets. No one else had a right to ask for them. That whatever had needed to be done, Cherise's son had taken care of it. Even the justice seeking attorney in her could be placated with that.

Before she had wondered what had become of her college crush, but had sadly assumed that he had gone after who ever had hurt his mother and had ended up dead himself. But now…this left so many more questions that would forever be unanswered.

**A/N: I just wanted to give a quick shout out to ****DevilshCharm**** and ****Dreamer12888****. Thank ya'll for the reviews! They are so GREATLY APPERCIATED!!! **


	3. You can only be young once

**A/N: Thank you****Dreamer12888****and****DevilshCharm** **for the support and reviews. This last one is a little longer than the other two. So I hope you enjoy.**

"Well your going to have to explain to Mr. Thiadoux that it would simply be impossible for me to _make _the court scheduling any sooner. It's not something I have control over," She snapped into her blue tooth at her paralegal, and then she felt imminently guilty. It wasn't Linda's fault that one of their clients was at the office demanding a sooner date for his son's hearing; the poor woman was just trying to appease the upset parent.

This was just one of the many problems she was having. _'Could this day get any worse?' She mentally asked herself._

"I realize that Macy, but he really wants to talk to you about it."

'_Of coarse he did.'_

"Fine." Macy, sighed. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Tell him-"

"Jack! Come back! Come back Jack!" A woman yelled as she ran around the corner, plowing into Macy.

Papers flew into the air out of Macy's hands, as her coffee split all down her front, burning as it went. She bit back a curse as she felt the heel of her shoe snap in two right before she lost all balance and hit the ground jarring her blue tooth out of her ear.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" Before even being able to process what had happened frantic hands began to help pull Macy up off the sidewalk. "I'm so sorry. So sorry."

She glanced at the person helping her to find, big green eyes set in a concerned face. "Are you alright?" The woman asked as she glanced up and down at Macy, but didn't give her time to answer, before gasping. "Oh, no! Your coffee, I got it all over you! I'm so, so sorry. I'll pay for it to be cleaned. And all your papers, here let me get them. No, really, let me. I made this huge mess."

The woman kept talking as she picked up the papers that were all over the side walk getting stepped on by passer-byes. Long, dark hair almost touching the ground as she bent to picked up the hopelessly mixed up files.

Macy glanced about for her lost ear piece while she listened to the woman prattle away.

"Oh no! Your shoe, the heel is snapped off. I'll pay for it. Just tell me how much it was. I'm so sorry. It's just that Jack got away from me and I just got so upset. What if he got hit by a car? Or someone snatched him up? What if I never find him? I shouldn't have been running. I should have been more careful with him. I should have been watching where I was going. Is that your ear piece out in the street?"

Macy looked at where the rambling young woman was pointing and saw it was in fact what she had been just searching for.

And a second later they watched as it was crushed under a car tire.

Then another one.

"Yes. It was." Macy said dejectedly. She should just really call it's quits for the day and go home.

She glanced at the woman clutching the papers that had once been three very thick and complicated case files. Some of the silky stands of her hair hand fallen into her eyes, and she was biting her lower lip. "I…I am _really _sorry. I'll pay for the blue-tooth, and your shoe, and your suit to be cleaned."

Macy took a deep breath. Then another. _It's not the end of the world. Its just stuff. It can all be easily replaced._ She felt like crying out in frustration, but attempted a smile instead, and knew it fell short of its mark. "Its okay. I'm not worried about the money."

"No. Please let me. I've probably just ruined your nice suit and it's my fault that your shoe's broken. And your papers, their a mess." The woman held them up as proof. "I don't know how else to try and fix this."

"It's really not necessary-" A dogs bark sounded from behind her.

The woman's face lit up. "Jack!"

Macy turned to see a medium sized mutt with a wagging tale attached to a led.

"Where did you find him?" The woman asked the person holding the dog led, as she knelt down to hug the dog.

Macy looked up at the man and it seemed like the world stopped spinning. Her jaw went slack and eyes grew into the size of saucers.

It was Nick Gautier.

She hadn't seen him but in the last ten years, and that last time had left her thankful that they had never crossed paths again. He had been the stuff of nightmares. Nothing like the guy she had known in college.

She looked him up and down. It seemed like she was seeing both of those men in the one standing in front of her. He was in tattered blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He still had that intensity surrounding him like at that night at the pump, but he didn't have the blatant hostility that had so badly scared her before, and the easy charm of his smile was like the one she remembered from all those times spent studying with him. His eyes were that odd swirling sliver they had been that night, but the tattoo was gone. How?

Then another stranger observation came to her attention. He was young.

He looked no older than he had in their college days, about twenty-six or twenty-seven at most. It was one thing to hold your looks but he wasn't showing any signs of aging, and she knew he had to be close to his mid forties.

"Nick. You won't believe what I did." The woman's voice broke through her thoughts. "I ran in to this lady, and broke her shoe, and got coffee all over her, and mixed up all her papers. Then her blue tooth was run over because of me."

Nick who had been looking at the woman kneeling with the dog, finally took notice of Macy standing there.

"Macy?" He asked like he wasn't sure it was her.

"Nick?" Macy asked hesitantly. "Nick Gautier?"

The kneeling woman frowned. "You know each other?"

"We used to." Nick's smile took her back to her college days. It still had the same effect, despite having been married for the last eight years to a man she was deeply in love with.

Macy didn't know what to think, much less what to say. This was totally unreal.

"Maddie I'd like you to meet Macy La Bauve, we went to college together. Macy this is my wife Maddie."

The kneeling woman stood and offered her hand. "I'm so sorry about everything."

Macy accepted the hand shake, but she was still focused on the too young Nick. Had he never aged before and she just hadn't noticed it? Or had she just not been around him long enough to not know? This couldn't be the same Nick. No one looked _that _good in their forties.

"I told her I'd pay for the shoes and the dry cleaning, and the blue tooth." The woman, Maddie said. She didn't look anymore than twenty-five or twenty-six. Did she not age either?

'_I must be having some sort of mid-life crisis. Too much work. Too much stress, it's got me imagining Nick. It can't really be him. Too young. I'm going crazy.' _Her thoughts bounced around in her head. "No…no, don't worry about it. Its…not that big of a deal." At the moment she couldn't even remember why she should be upset.

"Are you sure? Because I really don't mind…" Maddie trailed off as she waited for an answer.

"Yea…uh, I mean no. Don't worry about it." Macy was having trouble following the conversation. She was still trying to grasp the fact that Nick Gautier was standing in front of herm and looking no older despite all the years that had passed.

And what about the obvious change in him?

She could understand the change in Nick when seeing him at the gas pump that late night all those years ago. His mother had been brutally murdered a few years earlier and he had been considered a suspect. But the change in him now seemed…not what she had excepted after that night. What had brought it on?

"Still, I hate to just, you know, leave you like this." Maddie gestured to Macys' distraught attire.

When Macy saw Nick turn to Maddie with an amused expression on his face, the look in his eyes answered her questioned. Maddie had brought on the change.

_Lucky girl. _Part of Macy was a little jealous, after all there had been a time when she herself had prayed for Nick to ask her on _just one_ date, but she was also glad that someone had been able to…do whatever it was that had helped Nick.

"Uh, no. It's fine. I'll be okay." Macy smiled at the younger woman.

"Well, if your sure…"

"Maddie, Macy would definitely tell you if it wasn't okay." Nick laughed as he slung an around his wife.

"Okay. Fine," Maddie glanced up at Nick, before looking back at Macy. "I really am sorry, and I wish you let me pay for it, but if your sure…"

"No. I'm sure, but thank you for the consideration."

The dog barked. Grabbing Maddie's attention. She smiled and started petting him. "I think it's time for you to get back home." She looked back up at Nick. "I'm going to take him back." She passed the papers to Macy. "I am really, really sorry though. C'mon Jack."

"I'll catch up with you in a minute, okay?" Nick said to Maddie.

She smiled at him. "Kay. It was nice meeting you Macy."

"You too." Macy managed to get out as she stared kept staring dumbfounded at Nick.

"You okay Macy?" He asked, a knowing and amused smile playing on his lips, after Maddie was out of earshot.

"I just…" She shook her head trying to help clear it from all the obvious questions. "I don't understand. Why-"

He held up a hand. "Trust me, _cher, _just leave it alone. You don't need to know and honestly you don't really want to know." He said it with an odd mixture of gentleness, humor and resolution.

She narrowed her eyes on him, and opened her mouth to argue that point, but stopped. His face from the last time flashed through her mind. No, he'd earned his right to keep his secrets. He had obviously been in a bad place last time she'd seen him. No reason to remind him of that time. Especially if he had found peace and happiness. It would be cruel.

And if being an attorney had taught her nothing else, it had taught her that you couldn't win them all. She could live with this mystery. She nodded in acceptance. "Okay."

Relief flashed across his features, like he'd been excepting an argument. "Thanks."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to know." She said quickly, just to clarify.

He laughed, and she felt twenty-five again. "I always did like you."

She found herself doing something she hadn't in years. Blushing. Really? She was too old for this, she thought as she felt her face heat up.

"I better get going." He said.

"Yea, me too." Her phone started to vibrate in her pocket, reminding her that she had somewhere to be.

He flashed her that dimpled smile again before heading off in the direction his wife had went. Macy watched him go till he turned a corner and was out of site. She was well aware it would probably be the last time she ever saw him again, and she soaked up the experience so she could recall it later.

She sent up a prayer of thanks for whatever saved Nick, and hoped him and his wife lived a long and happy life together. She left it at that. Deciding she'd go home and start over tomorrow. She had had enough for one day.

**The End**


End file.
